#gojo analysis

[justrustandstardust]

in the season two op, we see gojo with an umbrella, rushing over to meet geto. despite the fact that he literally doesn't need one, gojo very clearly brings the umbrella for geto; this is made obvious because this scene is intercut with shots of geto impatiently waiting in the rain and holding a bag over his head.

in the season one op, he's once again walking through the rain, but this time he doesn't have an umbrella.

the absence of an umbrella in the rain is stark in comparison to the season 2 op, where the umbrella is the focal point of gojo's stroll through the rain. in season 1, literally everyone else in the opening has an umbrella, making the absence of gojo's even more noticeable.

in both openings, he's walking in the rain. but only in one of them does he have an umbrella, despite the fact that he doesn't need it in either of them.

if you notice something is missing from a room, it's still there, isn't it?

[bliss-in-the-void]

It makes me so sad to think of why people hate Satoru so much, because most of the time (apart from Utahime genuinely just hating him ._.) it has to do with his powers and abilities, not with him as a person.

Yes, his birth tipped the scales and caused curses to grow stronger as a reaction, but that wasn’t his fault. Satoru Gojo as a person is not his powers, they’re just a part of him. Unfortunately, that part of him is the most prevalent part that people see and are quick to judge him off of, so in turn, he tends to over identify with it.

Here when he says “I love everyone but at some point there was a line drawn between me being a person and being a creature” that right there shows how detrimental being the wielder of the Six Eyes and Limitless was to him.

We know Satoru is a loving and caring person. He sticks his neck out constantly to protect the youth and innocence of kids so that they don’t suffer like he did when he was a child & teenager. He tries his best to teach them in the most effective ways he believes to work so that they grow strong. He’s even said he’s not suited to teaching but he does it anyway. Hell, he let the person he cares about most run amok for 10 years because he couldn’t kill him. He has a huge, selfless heart.

But all of that gets overshadowed by the fact that this ability that he didn’t choose to have was thrust upon him at birth.

It’s just so sad because people really don’t see him for who he really is, they just see him for what he is. Living up to impossible expectations is so difficult, even for him who had to deal with it to the very end. He’s told his whole life he’s strong, he starts to believe it to the point where he feels slightly inhuman, and it just causes a sort of reckless abandon with the power he was given.

And it just makes me so sad.

[chiarrara]

Gojo is the most unreliable narrator in the story. He's wrong about everything. "yuuji can guide us to other fingers" wrong. "nah I'd win" wrong. "you die alone" wrong.

Can we extrapolate this to find other things he's probably wrong about? "love is the most twisted curse of all" for example? "you can only save someone who's willing to be saved" ???

[neonscandal]

something I wanted to understand, the author said that satoru was quite a womanizer, but then he said that geto was much more popular among women than satoru I didn't understand

Technically, the author said that they didn't see Gojo being faithful to one or a certain woman not that he was a womanizer.

With what we know about Gojo (and Gege Akutami's trolling ways, for that matter), I think that's up for interpretation.

FAN INTERPRETATION

Fans really took that sentiment and kind of ran with it because, to us, Gojo is high spec in every way. Canonically good looking, tall, competent at like.. everything according to Akutami, strong and presumably loaded. Of course someone like that would be a womanizer, right?

Except Gojo is an oversized child who still kinda refers to Digimon in conversation and primarily hangs out with 16 year olds. People project a lot of their BS onto him because they can't imagine ticking all those boxes and not being an asshole. But he’s a corny dork who is seemingly impervious to the outright disdain of most of the people around him. IT’S COMICAL. Personally, I think this interpretation is incorrect, demonstrably.

The other side of the fandom is naturally like... well of course he couldn't stay faithful to one woman. He's been faithful to Geto for ten years! I think we know what camp I've pitched my tent in *gestures vaguely to the rest of my blog* Especially when you bear in mind that Gege Akutami specifically designed Gojo and Geto to be intrinsic complements of one another.

CANON

I'm not so SatoSugu addled (once the brain rot sets in, it's terminal) that I am unable to disclose the secret third way we can interpret this. Canonically, when we look at Gojo as a character... it almost makes sense to assume he's simply not interested in dating at all.

Empirically finds it hard to relate to others

Even when he does care for others, he's still emotionally shallow and aware of it

Gojo clan leader with all associated unpleasantries and responsibilities from a young age

Single benefactor to two children; assumes direct responsibility over two more by staving off their execution

First line of defense for all of jujutsu society

Has a grand design of toppling said jujutsu society

Has experienced devastating loss which informs the grand design of his life's mission and he's always plotting, even when it comes to the seemingly altruistic act of "adopting" the Fushiguro kids or pressing Yuta and Yuji to learn under his care. When you consider that context, it furthers the idea that he's pretty divorced from emotion. Like, he wants them to have a childhood but its still at the pleasure of his convenience and ultimate purpose.

LOOK at this gorgeous, gorgeous boy from pop layer art because I need it and, when I covet, you must also covet. Edit: I'd accidently copied the wrong link there! It's been fixed 💙

In universe, we've seen maybe two canonical couples: Yuta & Rika and Hakari & Kirara (to be animated). This supports the fact that Gege's not really concerned with injecting "romance" into the plot unnecessarily. Undeniably and supporting the SatoSugu agenda, however, is the fact that JJK 0 very much aligned Gojo & Geto with Yuta & Rika with the theme coming to a head in season 2 with Gojo's sealment. For clarity, I mean how love ultimately cursed Rika and Geto after death by Yuta's begging her not to leave and Gojo not properly disposing of Geto's body. Love turned Rika into a curse and allowed Kenjaku to swoop in on Geto.

GETO'S POPULARITY

Geto is, quite literally, popular with everyone in universe and that was before he became a cult leader... which also indicates a predilection for popularity, I guess? As a character, he is principled, thoughtful, gentle and strong. I think, collectively, we tend to toil over the fact that Gojo spent more time missing Geto than he actually knew him. But... that's the same for Shoko and Nanami. After Geto's defection, Nanami couldn't forsake him even if he morally couldn't approve of his actions. Over ten years later as the night parade of a hundred demons is set to take place, Yaga starts saying something along the lines of finally getting rid of the scourge that is Suguru Geto and Shoko makes it a point to leave. I think it's because, after everything, she still holds affection and pity for Geto and would rather not hear him being bad-mouthed for breaking under the pressure of things.

He was the best of them, after all.

[wildgoosejpg]

A Quick Analysis on Gojo's Childhood Implication

(This analysis will touch up mildly on child psychology.)

Three points to consider about his childhood: 1) Satoru is revered for his strength since he was a literal infant,

2) he was targeted by bounty hunters ever since he was born, and

3) he's shown to display a stark behavior when he was a child in contrast to his adult self.

To start this off, interpreting a manga is not just about reading the phrases. Manga is a storytelling format that combines drawn art and written words. In character design, artists put stories behind a character's expression (facial expressions, choice of clothes, environment, etc.) deliberately in attempt to express storytelling.

The language of art in this respect is all about interpreting the "show dont tell". And you can gain a lot of information from that alone, if you get the context.

In the manga, kid Gojo is drawn consistently impassive compared to adult Gojo, even as far as to actually contrast him to his adult self in a specific panel. The difference of personality is a deliberate choice to tell a story from his childhood which is in contrast to his current self.

Based on those three points, we can read that:

Gojo did not grow up normally. No normal kid grows up and is already threatened for existing. A kid cannot properly figure out why he's 'a threat', let alone have the mature mind to immediately digest why his environment is treating him a certain way (taking account the amount of fixations on his strength).

It's canon information that Gojo is spoiled as a kid. As children, the desire and need to feel loved and accepted is innate. Since his childhood, boy is fussed with people acknowledging him. However, the question remains, did the people around him accepted him for who he was, or was it for his gifted strength alone? It is fairly obvious why people were eager to meet his existence.

As kids, it's natural to look up to older people who they can trust, figuring out their place in the world, and building their own self-worth. The constant attention makes it a no wonder why Satoru developed to have an intense hyperfixation on his strength alone. It's a reflection of how the world views him, putting his strength before his very being on top of the pedestal.

Rightfully so, in the present day, Gojo grew up to be overly fixated about how strong he is, taking his entire identity. His self-interest lies deep in relation to his strength.

To reiterate, Gojo did not have a healthy and normal childhood circumstance. Take any child into what he has psychologically gone through at his formative and early age, seeing the world through an eyes of a child. The things he experienced can be considered as childhood neglection as he lacked the proper needs as a child (healthy boundaries, security). In present day, his hyperfixation on strength is deeply infrangible. His worth and being is emphasised by the filter of his Six Eyes throughout the manga.

Satoru's relationship with his strength is like a crux to his being. He copes with strength and gains pleasure from strength. Dude keeps yapping, "I'm the strongest." because that alone validates and satisfies his existence and his self-worth. In Satoru's case, him born with the Six Eyes skewed his perception of the world - from the moment he was raised and the moment he was born. Noone is there to truly understand his perspective (thus further isolating him) because noone has the Six Eyes but him. It is bound for him to live with centering his own strength and understanding himself through that.

When I hear people talk about how arrogant or boastful he is, it's because he has the right to given his unavoidable circumstance, a result of years of being validated as the strongest. That said, Satoru is very conscientious with his status which makes it interesting. It shows how layered he is as a character. Rather than questioning his own identity without his power, he seems to think more about his power and how he can live with it for his own sake despite being painfully aware of how it causes him to rift from other people.

From this line, it is implied that Satoru did yearn for other people to understand his loneliness but has come to a conclusion that he will never experience it given his status, and that he's fine with it now. Taking this into consideration of his childhood, a person who's needs are met wouldn't simply yearn to be understood at his current age unless if his needs (feeling loved and understood) aren't met at all. Drawing from this, it's safe to assume that Satoru lacked feeling truly validated as a person growing up, and that his Six Eyes, the blessing he is born with, is indeed a curse in hindsight to a 'living thing' like Satoru. Satoru understands he's not human enough to be human but he is indeed still a living thing.

[bafvkun]

I don’t understand how Seraph of the End isn’t more popular like I for real don’t. Especially when it has a character that is SOOOO similar to our king Gojo.

Y’all don’t realize how similar Gojo and Glenn are, apart from the fact they literally share the same VA. Their personalities are similar, their temperament and approach to things too. The only thing I can think of is that Glenn is more morally grey than Gojo ever will.

They have the same path in life, both of them went through the same shit.

(Pretty much spoiler free)

When Gojo was born it was like God descended upon mortals, his clan as well as himself are placed on a special sit in the sorcerer world, he grew up so lonely and isolated. On the other hand Glenn is the opposite but the result is basically the same. He grew up in a clan that was always considered as inferior to others, at the very end of the rope, so he was always treated poorly and isolated.

They grew up as rather gloomy kids, which can be understood, and they both had crazy potential to become the lead of their own community, so the sorcerer world and humanity for each of them. But things changed when they entered high school.

Both of them got put into a new environment, with new people and new mentalities because the people around them weren’t sick adults that only judge by title but young people like the two of them that can still change their minds and be judgment free.

They will meet these new people and create bounds with them, slowly going from isolated kids to part of a group that could face hell together. These new friends they’ll make will be like a second family, they’ll find themselves developing and growing stronger in their company, and they’ll understand that this is what they always needed in the end.

But you know life is a bitch and things won’t go right, some will betray, some will die, they will face grief and moral dilemmas that will hurt them badly, traumatizing them even.

But life goes on after all and it will end up settling down, some time will go by (for Gojo just a matter of days/weeks and Glenn years) and they’ll take in a new student that is totally foreign to the world they’re taken in. From that they will treat them like younger brothers and educate them, instilling them everything they learned to be able to face the world.

Gojo like Glenn know the potential the two (Megumi and Yu) have and how much they’re gonna absolutely rock the world and they both prepare them to be able to face this. And the two of them will push their students to make friends and create a link, just like they did before.

And if you compare the beginning of both anime with the end of both first seasons Megumi like Yu opened up a whole lot thanks to their friends, they’re much more fulfilled and determined than they could ever have been without their mentor’s help to create bounds.

But unfortunately life is really just terrible to them and they’ll have to put their own students through trials they wanted to protect them from, but fate is just that much greater than us.

I think I’ll stop over sharing here but please please please JJK fans, give a chance to Seraph it’s so worth it and I’m having a blast analyzing the characters, there’s so much to say about them. (And I’m not even mentioning how these two are literally lady killers UGH)

[magewritesstories]

Okay i know i made a Tortured Poets Departement x JJK post already but hear me out, let me make my case!

Thesis Statement: I Can Do It With A Broken Heart is Gojo-coded.

My Proof:

I can show you lies 'Cause I'm a real tough kid I can handle my shit They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" And I did Lights, camera, bitch, smile Even when you wanna die

This is pretty much just Gojo in general, like pretending to be this upbeat, fun-loving (low-key a menace) guy when in actuality he's so traumatised and needs help because he's lonely too.

He said he'd love me for all time But that time was quite short Breaking down, I hit the floor All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting "More!"

Obviously, this would be Gojo after the KFC breakup, like "that time was too short?" because Gojo really did think they had the rest of their lives to be together?! (excuse me while I sob on the floor.)

I was grinning like I'm winning I was hitting my marks 'Cause I can do it with a broken heart I'm so depressed, I act like it's my birthday every day

I imagine ''I was hitting my marks" being him finally being able to keep on his infinity all the time, and him officially becoming the strongest etc. also he just pretends to be this upbeat guy in front of everyone.

You know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart You know you're good And I'm good 'Cause I'm miserable! And nobody even knows! Try and come for my job

"And I'm good, 'cause I'm miserable and nobody even knows!" Excuse me is this not everyone calling Gojo an idiot/annoying (which he pretends to be most of the time) while he's actually suffering, e.g. he was crying at the end of the Hidden Inventory Arc when Megumi, Yuuji and Nobara go to his office

───MAGE

[sasukesun]

the directing choice of putting the soft music playing the moment kenjaku says “yo, satoru” and make it stop the moment gojou realises it was a trap, the moment he falls back into reality and asks who is he, as if in the meantime he was dumbstruck by the possibility of having suguru back while also being flooded with the memories of his first and last blue spring of youth and the warmth that those memories bring him, to make him subtly smile when his six eyes tell him that it’s suguru, and then to play the same song but in a sinister way when kenjaku reveals himself and gojou realises his best friend’s body was violated like that, the sickening feeling. you could say the music expresses how gojou was feeling inside. and would also like to highlight the excellent job getou’s va did here, he speaks in a much somber way than real getou. great choices mappa.

[ellionwrites]

The way that Gojo cares so much about protecting his students’ right to be young and have fun…

In JJK0, with Yuta

In JJK S1, with Yuji

Because Gojo's own youth (especially his early years at Jujutsu high) was so precious to him. Probably the happiest times of his life.

[torusdove]

These men would happily watch any Barbie movie with you. Will they admit that? No, absolutely not. Will they, however, watch the film from beginning to end without missing even a single second? Yes, absolutely.

They might've been skeptical the first time you offered it, but overtime they didn't complain and instead.. fully enjoyed the new Friday tradition. In fact, if you get into bed and put something else on, they might ask you themselves to put on a Barbie film instead.

"You enjoy them wholeheartedly, sweetheart. I like spending time with you regardless of what we're doing."

They're full of crap, and you know this too. Still, they're your own little princesses which you'd do anything for to amuse them.

That includes "believing" them when they tell you they enjoy watching the films for you, and not themselves.

Satoru Gojo, Yuuji Itadori, Choso, Tetsurō Kurō, Tadashi Yamaguchi (he does admit it, though), Tōru Oikawa, Takahiro Hanamaki, Kōtarō Bokuto, Rintarō Suna, Atsumu Miya, Kazuha, Thoma, Childe, Kaeya, Itto, Rafayel (lnd) + your favourite.

[justrustandstardust]

i saw an incredible post on tiktok and i wanted to expand on it, because it's genuinely amazing. all the credit to @noesbf on tt for the idea that inspired these thoughts.

geto's character is threaded through with motifs of consumption. he takes things in, whether they be curses or daughters, and is spurred by intense empathy that ends up going in the "wrong" direction once he takes the entire jujutsu world under his wing.

when we're introduced to him in hidden inventory, our first glimpse is of him consuming a curse. he's also alone, in a dark alleyway, a symbolic image that parallels his journey throughout the story. he's a consumptive force, a facet of his being that ultimately leads to his undoing because he consumes the responsibility of "saving" the strong, who are burdened by the weak.

gojo, on the other hand, repels. he's an outward force, extending out a physical barrier that creates distance between his body and the world. where geto invites, gojo rejects. their abilities are constructed as diametrically opposed to one another's.

through the motif of gojo's abilities, this image captures their consume/repel dynamic in a singular shot. after riko's death, gojo leans into red, which repels. he focuses on growing stronger and in doing so, isolates himself from the world (and subsequently, geto). on the other hand, geto leans into blue, which aligns with the consumptive nature of his character. he harbours riko's death inside of himself and it festers, like a curse.

black holes are all-consuming vacuums. they subsume everything around them and create an inescapable vortex— once you're pulled in, you're never getting out. it will literally eat you and in doing so, makes you an everlasting part of it.

white holes, on the other hand, function in opposition to black ones along the same axis. where black holes pull, white holes push. nothing can enter them; they're doomed to a lonely eternity because of the force that holds the universe at a distance. nothing outside of it can affect what goes on within, yet it affects everything around it.

however, white holes can be subsumed by black holes. while nothing can enter them, if a white hole were to cross paths with a black hole, its consumptive force is so powerful that it would eat them too.

after geto and gojo experience a rapture in their relationship, gojo withdraws from the world, holding everyone at a literal and figurative distance. yet, even while he's alone, he's endlessly drawn towards geto. his eyes are bound but his soul isn't— it's tied to the piece of him inside of someone else, and gojo visibly feels the pull.

white/black holes also correspond to the colours associated with gojo and geto's characters (they align with their yin/yang dynamic, where yin (black) symbolizes darkness & the moon and yang (white) symbolizes light & the sun).

yin/yang are more than two halves; they form an indivisible whole. they become one another: light turns to dark, the moon replaces the sun in the sky, life transitions into death only to be born as life again.

if two celestial bodies exert oppositional forces upon each other, they function in equilibrium. geto's consumption was growing alongside gojo's repelling, reaching an event horizon when he took the lives of 112 villagers and forcing the two of them out of equilibrium. he continued to consume (curses, money, vulnerable people through his cult) until he died and took gojo's soul with him.

consumption can only exist if there's a repellant force pushing back. geto and gojo are not opposites, instead, they each contain the other— every yin has yang within it and vice versa.

they are borne of each other, they are unknowable without the other. they are more than matching; together, they are complete.

[bliss-in-the-void]

Gege Akutami, You Do Not Understand Gojo Satoru, and Here is Why

I was reading this article to help me cope with the traumatic events of Chapter 236 when a certain portion didn’t sit right with me.

Long post, click to read the full analysis:

(this is probably the most important post I've made so far)

Now, we all know that Gege doesn’t like Gojo. They don’t make it a secret in the slightest. Which is fine in itself, as an author you are 100% within your right to hate a character you created, and I respect that—it gives dimension to the dynamic of a story.

What I don’t care for is the reasons Akutami lists for their dislike of Gojo.

Reason #1 as stated in the above blurb of the article: Gojo doesn’t have depth.

To me, this is a wild statement to make as an author, but especially as the one who wrote Gojo. Where does he lack depth? Genuine question.

I believe he is an incredibly complex character.

He is the first sorcerer in centuries to be born with the Six Eyes and Limitless techniques, which automatically sets up so many nuances. Coupled with the fact that Akutami has stated that he grew up spoiled, that right there should tell you some things about why he is the way he is. He has a bit of an inflated ego when it comes to his powers. And why wouldn’t he? From the time he was born, the people around him treated him like some sort of God. How else was he supposed to grow up? He’s told his whole life he possesses unparalleled power, and he’s going to believe that.

Even still, it really isn’t as unchecked as Akutami seems to believe it is. Despite his distaste for authority, Gojo still reports to the higher ups, goes on missions, exorcizes curses, and works collaboratively with his fellow sorcerers. If he was really the giant egomaniac Akutami argues that he is, he’d say ‘to hell with authority’ and run off to do whatever he wants like Yuki. I mean, COME ON, this guy is the most powerful modern sorcerer and he still attended all four years of high school. He could have easily never attended—who was going to stop him?

He has a peculiar sense of humor that can get inappropriately timed in certain moments, but it’s obvious that it’s a deflection and a coping mechanism for the horrors of a sorcerer’s reality. He doesn’t just joke about death and dying because he doesn’t care. He cares too much and he doesn’t know how to deal with it, so he suppresses and laughs it off. Moments like this are seen after Suguru dies in JJK 0 when he was clearly crying afterward, but had to put on a cheerful facade for Yuuta and the other students.

He is a very good teacher. It’s hard for a naturally gifted prodigy to effectively teach things which come automatically to them, and somehow he finds creative ways to do it. Teaching Yuuji to control cursed energy by using one of Yaga’s dolls and giving him a movie marathon? One of Yuuji’s favorite hobbies? Genius and so considerate for Yuuji. He’d just been thrown into the sorcerer world, learning all these new things, and Gojo decided to introduce a foreign concept to him through something familiar and comfortable to him. That is amazing, and the mark of a very kind, understanding teacher. He’s also really patient with his students. Yes, he gives them tough love sometimes by throwing them into missions, but it really is to make them strong. How else will they grow if they aren’t put under pressure?

His motivation for being a teacher is very selfless. He himself has stated that he isn’t suited to be a teacher, but that he has a dream to raise a generation of strong allies to prevent isolation from occurring like what had happened to Suguru. He felt guilty about growing apart from him, didn’t see the warning signs before he snapped, and regrets not being there for him more. His entire purpose now is dedicated to making sure the new wave of sorcerers have a tightly-knit network so that no one ends up alone and on a dark path like Suguru.

He constantly sticks his neck out for the helpless even when it’s far from his benefit. He paid off the Zenin clan to save Megumi, the child of the man who ruined his high school years and nearly killed him. He then raised him. He threatened the higher ups to keep Yuuta alive, and then did it again for Yuuji. He does this to preserve their youth, because his own was taken away from him. His whole life he’d been controlled by the higher ups and people around him because of who he is in the sorcerer world, so by waving his own status in front of authority to hold them back from his students, he acts as a sort of shield to take as many burdens off of their shoulders as he can so that they can remain carefree. As much as he can within his power.

With all of that being said, I really don’t understand where Akutami is coming from with lack of depth, but another argument I say to that statement is: well, you’re the author, give him the depth you think he’s missing. (Personally, I believe he’s one of the best-written characters in any anime I’ve seen).

Reason #2 is that according to Akutami, he doesn’t have a likable personality.

What about his personality is unlikable?

He is cocky, but not to the point where he stops caring about others, not to the point where he never considers how other people feel or how his actions affect other people, and not to the point where he never feels guilt and remorse about his shortcomings. Like I said, he lives his life trying to prevent his past from repeating itself, to save the fates of others.

I really don’t get it. In JJK 0, after Nitta gives her report on the shopping mall, Gojo thanks her and praises her. Would a cocky asshole do that? No. If you wanted to characterize him as unlikable, you could have made him dismiss her, or ignore her.

He makes pop culture references, he has endearing flaws like not being good at drawing, being a lightweight drinker, and overdoing it on the sweets. He’s funny, he’s kind, he’s considerate…he is a very likable character.

Honestly, the self-absorption he displays when he’s fighting is probably a result of his upbringing. Being told you have so much power you have so much power you have so much power over and over again instills this belief that yes, he’s needed by Jujutsu Society to fight curses as a weapon. As. A. Weapon. The Six Eyes & Limitless user is a formidable weapon, but what about Satoru Gojo, the person? The only time he feels useful is when he’s fighting curses. That’s where he gets his self-worth. We can see that expressed in this panel, from Chapter 236:

In the second half of Gojo’s second text bubble, he says, “でもどこかで人としてというより生き物としての線引きがあったのかな”.

This translates to: “But I wonder if somewhere there was a line drawn between being a creature rather than a person.”

Rather than having drew the line himself, being constantly treated like the strongest, being handed over the difficult missions, being relied on so heavily pushed him away from other people. It distorted the perception everyone had of him, and it distorted the perception he had of himself. He also believed he could never lose because he let his human side fade into the background. The world didn't need human Satoru Gojo, they needed sorcerer Satoru Gojo, the one who could bend rules to his will with his might, the one who could exorcise any curse and save the day no matter how bad things got. Why would he remain human when that part of him was treated as non-existent? The only person who did treat him as a person with weaknesses and flaws has been dead for eleven years. Of course that voice of reason is going to fizzle out.

How can you possibly vilify him for that? It would be a disservice to everything he has had to endure his entire life.

Reason #3 and the last point I want to touch on is when the article says, "Akutami believes that much of this adoration is based solely on his striking appearance, overshadowing his more abrasive personality traits."

Okay. Where to start?

Honestly, and I know this is probably not Akutami's intention, but that comes off as so condescending. It's so presumptuous. It's as if to say we're all going "ooh look at pretty man, pretty man do no wrong because too pretty" mindlessly with dilated pupils and drool coming out of our mouths. Uh. No.

Yes, Satoru is a good-looking character, but no, that is very far from why we like him so much as a character, and it's also very far from why he's so popular. Aside from all of the points I've made above explaining why he's so universally loved, I'll make another one that isn't superficial and tired.

He's so relatable.

This is a man so incredibly traumatized by his high school years that he is mentally and emotionally unable to move on. Suguru Geto was his very best friend, and for reasons he took too long to understand, chose to abandon their friendship for his own goals. For anyone who has grown apart from a best friend, this hits so hard.

Because of his upbringing it was hard to become close to anyone. But somehow, Suguru was able to break past his walls, and for that, he became entirely too dependent on him. This is common for anyone who finds it hard to make friends and get close to others. Once someone is allowed in, you cling so hard to them and imagine them being there for your entire life. So, when they leave, you take it entirely too personally.

Everyone has a right to live their own lives, and as we see with the divergence of Suguru and Satoru, sometimes our paths aren't leading to the same place. It's not personal. But Satoru took it personal, and that's so beautifully human. When you lose a best friend who was important to you, you think "I like being around this person, they put me at ease in a way no one else does", and you assume they feel the same way about you. So when they leave and show you that no, they didn't feel the same, it hurts. It's almost as if they're saying "I actually do think you're unlovable like everyone else, that's why no one likes you, you are too much."

Someone you thought was safe, isn't anymore.

That is such a relatable thing to watch a character go through! Especially someone as awe-inspiring and charismatic as Gojo! As an audience, we think, "he's just like me!" and we like him for it.

So, as I stated in the title, Gege Akutami, you don't understand Satoru Gojo at all. I commend you for writing such an amazing, iconic, universally loved character, but I will never understand nor respect the superficial way in which you perceive him.

[redrocketpanda]

Something that has been driving me insane about the credits are these sections with the fish so please bear with me whilst I do a mini deep dive (hehe) into fish discourse because YO, we need to talk about these fish!

Notice how at the beginning of the credits we actually have two white fish swimming along beside one another; one with bright turquoise eyes and the other with black.

A little while later the fish begin to circle each other and a droplet falls into the water between them. As the disturbance ripples out from the center, one of the fish dives deeper into the water and changes its colour to black; symbolizing Geto's change and descent into darkness

Then we have this heartbreakingly beautiful moment with Gojo and Geto:

I cannot stop thinking about how long Gojo watches the black fish for as it swims across the screen, whereas Geto's eyes are lowered the moment the white fish appears and he closes them as it swims past.

Gojo cannot bear to tear his eyes away, whilst Geto cannot bear to look

Throughout the credits, Gojo and Geto have been making their way towards each other through the pouring rain (or mostly sitting and waiting in Geto's case). At the end, they meet each other under a bridge and as they walk away together we see the fish a final time, swimming together again in a puddle formed by the heavy rain.

Geto walks on the left in the light, as the white fish swims close to his head, almost invisible in the brightness of the light. Whilst Gojo walks on the right in the shadow with the black fish swimming further away but still close by.

The fish speed after the two men before disappearing completely under the water just before the camera pans up and we watch as Gojo pulls Geto in for a hug as they walk away, before he's playfully shoved away by Geto.

There's a lot going on the credits (+ opening) that is absolutely killing me but man, these fish?! Breathtaking.

[duckiemimi]

chapter 70 vs. chapter 251

the pinnacle of jujutsu vs. someone with no cursed energy. two sides of the same coin.

(edit: this was a tweet from a couple years ago that’s relevant. maybe i’ll rewrite it as an analysis post.)

[anulithots]

Him

But... apparently Gojo's stronger alone. Without Geto.

And... just look at how he fought before Riko's death:

Versus after Riko's death:

He really did blame himself for Riko's death.

(Imagine if we saw the scene where he found her body?!)

And decided to not spend so much time deliberating (like he did in the Toji fight) and instead he'll use full force on his opponents with near reckless abandon.

And the thing that hurts me the most is that technically if Gojo's alone, then he's the strongest.

But he was so much happier with Geto.

love is the most twisted curse of all

[satocidal]

𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * A lesson to Learn — Gojo Satoru

Tw: no smut but very very suggestive; Reader is like 4-5 years younger than Gojo; idk? Not proof read; Gojo’s mean :(

“What were you thinking?” A growl met your ears, panting, you dare not look up at him—“was it necessary to be acting like a fuckin’ child? Huh?”

It was the first Satoru had used a harsh tone in front of you- let alone at you- it was baffling in most senses.

More baffling was the way your eyes yearned to look at his annoyed stature, to see his face contorted with rage—baffling was the way you partially did it to get his attention.

Stranded that you stood with him, the middle of nowhere blanketed your forms—a clearance.

“Well?” A lick of your lips, you raised you head finally, hesitantly, a hand on his hip and the blindfold entirely off—you would’ve almost cowered at the way he glowered at you.

“I-” you paused, what explanation would you offer?

There was nothing except the blatant truth that you had wanted his attention, his praise- something he’d been generous with for the past many weeks with his students.

Another lick of your lips, had you known the way Satoru stared at you in this moment still, enamouring all the more.

Slow, your eyes trailed at his figure—his shirt lay sweat soaked, breathy pants his too, it was a tough mission, and he was right too—all you actually was hinder him.

The vision was clear, you were on the ground, as a heap—not a scratch on your face, Satoru wouldn’t ever let that happen after all—he stood unscathed too, “what? Huh? Are you that much of a moron? Don’t fucking follow me, simple instructions- hell my first years carry out instructions better than you.”

Defiant, in the way he spoke—“listen, Toru’ I just… I don’t know what came over me— you went alone and Ieiri told me it’s a tough mission so I just wanted to-”

“-help? By getting your ass handed back to you? Let some things remain in the hands of those who do it best,”

Your face fell at that, best? Sure you weren’t as good as him but…it wasn’t that you were weak?

“I just wanted-”

“No. I’ll tell you what you wanted,” and a sudden way your face flushed, it wouldn’t be that he knew…right?

“You wanted nothing more than my attention huh? Think I don’t notice your shit? Wearing those short fuckin’ skirts to “look over” the training? Giggling around with Nanami? Think I don’t notice your need for my attention? Really? Gonna drop so low to compete with kids for it?”

You’d known it was mostly shameful but just the way he reminded you, the way he was doing nothing but berating you—you couldn’t help the blurry vision your tears suddenly provided.

“Get up,” he scoffed, “C’mere,” you hesitated, did he know you were down there with tears in your face—of course he did.

He was Gojo Satoru.

Steady, you stood up, shaky from the entire experience, shy of becoming just a mess—you stood up, Satoru moved closer and suddenly the proximity was all you could notice.

You were sure, as you stood inches away from him, he was still calling you out—calling off your sheer idiocy but however could you pay attention to that when all you could focus on was the way his abs were visible slightly through the shirt—the way his glossy lips never stopped moving—the way visions of his hand lifting you so casually came flashing in right about now—

“You’re such a whore huh? Here I am going off about how stupid you’ve been and All you wanna do is stare at me?”

Another moment of your ears tipping so hot it was hard to bear it—“n-no I-”

A hand held up, placed quick on your waist, “if a bad girl is what you’re gonna act like then I don’t have issues teaching you a lesson- hell I think that’s the only way your perverted little brain can think,”

A shaky breath was all you could let out, gulping at the facts he presented, and for a second silence that befell you—you stared at his lips, his, yours.

Just a lean in and you could taste him, and lean in he did, fingers gripping your jaw slight, a dark smile he bore.

Your breath hitched- mouth falling open, you continued staring dumbly, a scoff he passed—“as is you like acting stupid school girl who wants attention right? About time you get enough of it—and before the kiss…I think there’s a lesson I gotta drill in,”

“Here?”

An internal face palm you offered yourself—of everything sketchy about possibly having a suggestive conversation with Gojo Satoru, the strongest, someone you’ve admired ever since your first year (and his sudden stops at the school to catch up with everyone), someone who’ve dreamt of since you were 16 and now 24 — the location should’ve been the last of your issues.

A humourless chuckle he passed, “always knew there was a slut in you somewhere,”

A small pout drifted onto your face at that—now uttering a humoured chuckle, his fingers traced your cheek—“don’t think for a second you’re off the hook, y’er just lucky that I’ve wanted you slightly more than you, me.”

Yeah, y’all fuck like bunnies after this <3 I may or may not expand on to it soon.

All of this work is original and entirely my own— please refrain from copying or reposting.

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